Damper-regulator.



W. D. LUGE.

DAMPER REGULATOR. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. so, 1968'.

atented Dec. 15,1908.

tion with a WILLIAM D. LUUE,

OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

DAMPER-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,004.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. Loon, of llaverhill, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Damper-Regulators,tof which .the following is a specification.

This invention articularly relates to a draft controlling evicefor a water heater which is cspecia y adapted for use in connechot water heating s stem; although, it may be advantageousl; used in connection wit any Water heater where it is desired to maintain the water at a predeter mined temperature.

In heating a building with a hot water heater, it is necessary to vary the temperature of the water according to weather conditions, and it is usually possible to tell, within a few degrees, to what temperature the water should be heated in order that the building may be heated to, and its temperature maintained at a certain point. Furthermore, small variations in temperature of the water will not, ordinarily, immediatel affect the temperature of the rooms whic are being heated to an appreciable extent, and while, on the other hand, il'the temperature of the rooms is ermitted to fall below the point at which it is desired that they be maintained, there is usually a corresponding delay in re storing the room temperature, even after the water temperature has been raised above its normal. For this reason, in heating with hot water, the room tem' erature may be maintained at a more near y uniform degree by a thermostat which acts on variations in temperature of the Water, than by one which acts on variationsof temperature of the rooms.

The object of my invention is to provide a regulator and draft controller, of simple construction, which is adapted to be ap lied to any hot water heater, and which W1 Fbe immediately alfected by any variations in the temperature of the water in the heater.

Afurther object of myinvention is to provide a temperature regulator which is adapted to be readily and accurately adjusted for different degrees of temperature, so thatthe Water may be maintained at diil'erent temperatures according to weather conditions and other requirements.

l accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

(1, preferably composed of Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hot water heater provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l. l ig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the movable end of the thermostat, and the immediately connected parts. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view, on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing 0. indicates a hot water heater of ordinary construction, having a smoke pipe a, a discharge or riser pipe 1), connected to the upper end of the heater, and a return pipe 0 connected to the lower end thereof.

According to my invention 1 provide a thermostatic device which comprises a pipe brass) or similar material having a high coei'licient of expansion, said pipe being curved throughout approximately its entire length, so that it'is semicircular in form. Said pi pc d is arranged in a vertical plane and its upper end d is connected to the riser pipe I) by means of a pipe section 6 and elbow f, said parts all being connected by screw threads and the pipe e extending at right angles to pipe (I. The lower end at of the pipe (1 is connected to the return pipe 0 by means of a pair of elbows g and g, connected by an intervening nipple,.a pipe section 5 an elbow g and a pipe section g, all of said parts being connected by screw tl eads, so that they may turn with refer- Cl; to each other, the pipe section g being ext-i .idcd approximately parallel to the lower end portion of pipe (I, and the section 9" at right angles thereto. The upper elbowf is provided with an integral lug j" on its up or side and the lower elbow g is provided wit 1 a corresponding integral lug g on its lower side.

A flat strap his provided, which is preferably of iron, or some other material having a coefficient of expansion which is less than that of the pipe (1, said strap being arranged to extend longitudinally of pipe (1, about the outer. curved side thereof, and having its end portion h, it reduced in width and extended through the lugs f and g respectively. A series of supports are riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the inner curved side of said strap h, as best shown in Fig. (3, the opposite sides of said supports from the strap being made concave to it onto the outer curved side of the pipe 1!, said supports being arso is to hold the 5 pipe and also holdit The end portions 1 of the strap 7 are threaded to receive ranged at suitable intervals, strap in position on the out of contact therewitl nuts i, so that when said nuts are forced against the front sides of lugs If, g, said supports 7' will be pressed lirm y against the curved sides of the pipe (1. Nuts i are also threaded on said end portions 72-, h", and clamped against the roar sides of said lugs f, g after said nuts '11 have been tightened. Said supports j and the strap h are preferably bound onto the pipe (Z at several points by straps j, to prevent the strap 71 from springing away from the pipe cl under certain conditions. The upper elbow f is provided with a projecting side face f and a lever mis pivoted thereon, by means of a pivot m, with one side bearing against said face. Said lever m extends forwardly and rearwardly from its pivot and is connected at its forward end, by a chain or rod 0, to the lower draft door p of the heater. The rearwardlyextending end of the lever m is connected by a chain g to the damper 1, arranged in the smoke pipe a, said chain passing over a series of suitably arranged guide pulleys, as shown. A vertically disposed rod 8 is pivotally connected at its upper end to the lever m in front of, and closely adjacent the pivot m thereof, and the lower end of said rod is screw-threaded to receive the upper end of a coupling device it. The lower elbow g is provided with 2. lug g on its upper-side and a rod u is pivoted at one end in said lug 9 its opposite end being screw-threaded to receive the lower end of the coupling device t, said rods 8 and it being arranged in alineinent, and the screw-threads thereon extending oppositely, so that when the cou ling t is turned in one direction the rods 8 811571. will be drawn together, and the connection between elbow g and lever m will be shortened, and when turned in the opposite direction they will be moved apart and the connection lengthened. Said cou ling device If is provided with a circ'ular dia in the middle portion thereof, and

- a pointer 12 is mounted on the elbow g, with 1ts end in position directly over the edge portion of the dial.

The operation of the above described device is as follows :A portion of the water which is being heated will circulate down through the pipe cl to the return pipe 0, said pipe d thus being heated to the same temperature as the water, and varying in temperature with the variations in temperature of the water, so that said pipe will expand or contract longitudinally as the water tem erature is raised or lowered. As the strap h as a smaller coefficient of expansion than the pipe (Z, it would not expand longitudinally to the 1 same extent as pipe d, even if said strap were heated to the same temperature as the pipe, but the difference in extent of the relative expansion of said strap and pipe is increased by reason of the fact that said strap isheld out of direct contact with the pi e d by supports 7', so that the strap wil not be raised to the same temperature as the pipe, and therefore will not even expand to an extent corresponding to the increase in temperature of the pipe. It may be stated in this connection that the supports fare preferably formed of material which is a poor conductor of heat, so as to heat-insulate the strap from the pipe. As the pipe rl expands longitudinally the strap It will, therefore, prevent its lower end (Z from movin horizontally, as it otherwise would, and Wi tion in which it was before the temperature was raised, decreasing the curvature of the pipe d to a slight extent. As-the end (P of the pipe is at some distance from the middle portion, this tendency to straighten, on the part of the pipe (1, will result in a greatly increased movement on the part of said end. Whenthe pipe (1 contracts the opposite action takes place, as the pipe, by its elasticity, will tend to return to its normal position. If, however, the pipe should tend to set in its, expanded osition,

h, which will press against the rear sides of the lugs f", 9, through the medium of the nuts '11, as the pipe contracts, said nuts being at all times held firmly in engagement with said lugs and the strap 7:. being prevented from springing away from the pipe by straps j. To assist in the return movement I also may provide a weight 90 on the rear end of the lever m, which causes an upward pull on the rod 8, which is connected to said end (1 The swinging movement of the end (Z of the pipeclwill be permitted by with the pipe section 9, and, permit this movement, the may swing slightly upon the pipe 6. The connection, however, of the pipe d at its upper end d is practically stationary, while the connection'at its lower end 61 is movable.

The length of the arms of the lever m, and the pitch of the threads on the, rods 8 and u are such that a single complete rotation of the dial i will move the draft controlling devices, which are connected to the lever m, from one extreme position to the 1 other. In practice the parts will be-adjusted l so that, when the dial is set at one extreiiie 5 position, and the water is at the minimum temperature to which it would ordinarily be heated, the draft will be closed or checked. If, then, it is desired to heat the water to a if necessary to whole pipe (Z draw said end down to one side of the posisuch tendency will be overcome byt e strap the threaded connection of the elbow g certain higher temperature, the dial is turned to a predetermined corresponding point, lengthening the connection between the pipe at and lever m and opening the draft. As the temperature of the water is raised and the piper; expands and its end (1 moved downwardly, said end will draw down the connections therebetween and the lever m, swinging the latter in a direction to check the draft, so that, by the time the a temperature of the water is raised to the fore, that any desired temperature, within 1 coefficient of expansion t desired point, the drafts will be fully checked. If the temperature of the water falls, the end portion of the pipe d will be raised iminediately, opening the draft to a corresponding extent. It will be apparent,therecertain limits, may be secured and may be thereafter maintained, without other attention to the draft controlling devices than the mere preliminary adjustment of the dial t, as described.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A thermostatic device for water heaters comprising a curved ipe of expansible material, and a correspon ingly curved stra having a coefficient of expansion less than t iat of said pipe, extending longitudinally thereof and connected thereto at different longitudinal points, substantially as described.

2. A thermostatic device for water heaters comprising a curved ipe of expansible material, a corresponding ycurved strap extending longitudinally of said pi e, and means for connecting said strap to sai ipe at different longitudinal points which ho d the same out of direct contact with the pipe, substantially as described.

8. A thermostatic device for water heatin furnaces comprising a pipe having a curved section of ex ansible material, and a strap having a sina er coefficient of expansion than that of said pipe, connected at its ends to said pipe at different longitudinal points, and embracing the curved sides thereof, substantially as described.

4. A thermostatic device for water heaters comprising a pipe having a curved section of expansible material, a strap embracing said curved section and connected thereto at its ends, and means for holding the intermediate portions of said .strap out of direct contact with said pipe section, substantially as de scribed;

5. A thermostatic device for water heaters comprising a pipe having a curved section of expansible material, a stra having a smaller Iran that of said pipe, extending about said curved section thereof, and connected thereto at its ends,

and a series of supports mounted on said curved section of'the pipe for holding the intermediate portions of said strap in position on the pipe and out of contact therewith, substantially as described.

6. A thermostatic device for water heaters comprising a pipe having a curved section of expansible material, and a flexible portion at one end of said curved section, and a strap having a different coefficient of expansion than that of the curved section of said pipe, embracing said curved section and secured to said pipe at opposite ends of said-section, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a water heater, a pipe connected at its ends thereto at different elevations and having an intermediate curved section of expansible material, and a flexible portion at one end of said curved section, a strap, having a smaller coefficient of expansion than that of said curved section, connected at each end to said pipe adjacent the ends of said curved section, and a draft controlling device connected to said pi e at the side of said curved section next said flexible portion, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a water heater, a pipe having. a curved section of expansible material and connections at its ends to said heater at different elevations, one of said connections being stationar and the other movable to permit one en of said curved section to swing with relation to its opposite end, a strap having a smaller coefficient of expansion than that of said curved section, said strap being connected at its ends to said pipe at opposite ends of said "curved section and extending about the curved sides thereof, and an operating device connected to said pipe adjacent said movable connection, substantially'as described. r

9. In combination with a water heater, a pipe of expansible material havin connections to the heater at difierent elevations,

one of said connections being stationary and the other flexible to permit transverse defiection of the pipe at points adjacent said flexible connection, a strap extending longitudinally of said pipe, connected thereto at its ends and engaging the same at intermediate oints to hold the same from transverse del ection at such intermediate points and to cause transverse deflection thereof at its flexibly connected end according to the linear expansion and contraction of said pipe, and a regulating device connected to said pipe at its flexibiy connected end, substantially as describe 10. In combination with a water heater, a pipe of expansible material having a curved middle portion and approximately parallel end portions, said pi e having a stationary connection with said lieater at one end and a flexible connection therewith at the other, a strap extending longitudinally of said pipe and connected thereto at its ends and ena ing the same at intermediate oints to hold the same fromtransverse de ection at H1011 intermediate points and to cause transname to this specification, in the presence of verse deflection thereof at its flexibly con- I two subscribing Witnesses.

nee-ted end according to the linear expansion and contraction of said pipe, and a regulating =.'i(e eonneeied to said pipe at its flexibly mimwted end, suimtantiaiiy as described. I in teetimony whereof, I have signed my I WILLIAM D. LUCE. 

